The Siren's Call
by KibaElunal
Summary: A few years after Thane and Vi have left for the League, Caitlyn feels that she has become soft. Determined, she has begun cracking down as she did in her glory days, wishing to purify Piltover once again. However, as a strange series of cases unfold, Caitlyn may discover a dark secret that has been hidden for a long time in Piltover's streets. (A sequel to Smoothest of Criminals)
1. Chapter 1

The Siren's Call – Ch. 1

Author's Note: You know, it's funny really how quickly you can change your mind about what you want to do in life. For example, originally I majored in Psychology, only to find that while I enjoyed the practice, the science of it bored me. After that, I went to Criminal Justice, eager to work hard to keep the streets safe. But, then I met Remy and I realized that I didn't want to worry her, so my major changed to Physics. From there, I found my passion for teacher, and thus my major once again changed to Middle School Math/Science. While I may not be in school presently, I do plan on getting my degree someday, but until then I'll do what I love most: writing. This story is a continuation of my previous story: The Smoothest of Criminals. **WARNING: YOU WILL NEED TO READ IT FIRST IN ORDER TO HAVE CONTEXT!** As always, I wish you the best of luck in life and literature and I am of course, eager to hear from my readers about their thoughts and feelings on the story. -Kiba

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I ran as fast as I could across the rooftop, my arms pumping in rhythm with my legs. My heart rate however was calm and slow. This was natural for me, the only way I knew how to live. This was the very foundation of my existence: fighting crime. I watched as my quarry leaped across the rooftop to another adjacent building. He wasn't going to get away from me, not another one. With a quick lunge, my body flew across the gap, landing on the other side so that my pace wouldn't slow.

However, when I looked around he was gone. "Where the hell are you?" I muttered to myself, pulling out my trusty rifle and walking further on to the roof. There. A light rattle to the left betrayed the suspect's attack as he held a knife high in the air. He was too close; I'd never be able to shoot him from here without killing him. Turning towards him, I deflected the knife with the metal barrel of my rifle only for his fist to come from the other side. My head leaned back, just in time to avoid his blow allowing him to kick the rifle from my hands. The two of us glared at one another before I put my fists up in preparation for a fight. His knife glinted in the moon light as he slashed at me again and again.

My hand to hand combat was never anything spectacular, even after I met a certain thief/detective a few years back. But it would be enough for this one. His movements were wide and sloppy; nothing like the sharp jabs of my deputy or the quick throws of her partner. He was still dangerous though, and I know that meant I had to show caution. As if to remind me of this, his next slash managed to tear a piece of my uniform revealing a bit of my abdomen. There would be no follow-up. I immediately threw my fist hard into the criminal's stomach, bringing him to his knees. I managed to leap out of range of his next slash towards my thigh, his momentary stunning serving as a distraction to rearm myself. I leapt for my rifle, turning quickly and firing the .50 caliber net that I'd packed in it towards him. Sure enough, the steel cables wrapped around him, forcing him to the ground. What I didn't have time to calculate however was that it now sent me sailing off the rooftop towards the hard ground below.

My hand reached out to grab on to a nearby fire escape, barely catching myself as my hat began to hurtle in my place. Sticking out my rifle I caught it by the brim, saving it from the trash filled dumpster below. The action brought a smile to my face. Thane would have loved to have seen that. He always was a fan of the drama that came with our work. With a grunt, I heaved myself over the railing to return back to the roof. There the man continued to squirm under the net that held him pinned down to the floor. "Hey you damned pig, let me out of this or I'll…" I cut off his words with a hard strike from my rifle. He was lucky I didn't shoot him. Nothing upset me more than being called a pig.

"Caitlyn, come in. Are you okay out there Sherriff?"

I sighed softly, placing my hand to the small radio transponder that sat in my ear. "I'm here Val. Suspect is in custody and ready for pick up. How soon until you can have one of the black-and-white's here?" The radio stayed quiet with only the sound of the clacking of the keys coming from the other side.

"I've locked on to your co-ordinates and sent it into dispatch. The nearest unit should be there in approximately three minutes."

"Excellent, I'll be back at the station soon."

"Yes ma'am. See you when you return."

The radio went silent once more as I holstered my rifle on my back and turned to leave. Valentine Keppler, or Val as he preferred, was once a detective for the cybernetic crime division of the police force. However, after I managed to convince them that he was needed elsewhere, I'd taken him on as my personal assistant. The things he could do or find with a computer were incredible, but field work…well he wasn't cut from the same fabric as other detectives.

Returning to the office, I opened the glass door, taking off my top hat and placing it on the rack before removing my rifle and slinging it over the stand beside it. On my desk sat a piping hot cup of tea. I sat in my chair, lifting the porcelain to my lips in order to take a sip of the heavenly liquid. I sighed as I set the cup back down. A coward, though he was, he really knew how to make a good cup of tea. I glanced up at the clock that hung above my door, watching the seconds tick by. He always made it a point to let me rest in my office for exactly ten minutes before bothering me for a case. While I appreciated the gesture, I'd asked him not to do so, but he continued to do it anyway. He told me it takes him that long to get the information for the next case but I knew better. I let him get away with it for now, simply because I feared I was working myself too hard. Even if true, this allowed me to at least justify it.

Sure enough, just as the second hand reached the ten minute mark, a polite knock came at my door. "Come in." I called, sipping my tea again.

"Great work Sheriff, as always." Val replied, as he shyly entered the room. "I've got another case if you're feeling up to it, if not that's okay. I can just patch it through into narcotics, not a problem."

I said nothing, only reaching out my hand to grasp the file he'd compiled for me. He stood quietly in the room as I browsed the information. There was a large production of some new drug that was running rampant in Piltover. Normally, I didn't go after Narcotics and just left that to the other officers so I could focus on the big fish. But this time, Val had reeled in a dragonshark and it was about to break the line. "I'll handle it." I replied standing from the desk to take my hat and rifle and going to leave. I paused for a moment outside the door before calling back, "Thanks for the tea Val. Keep up the good work." Before he could reply, however, I was gone.

When I was fourteen years old, I solved my first crime. A robbery to be specific. The victim was my father, and with his trusty rifle, I scoured the city to gain my revenge. And I found it in the form of a sniveling pile of flesh that wasn't fit to call itself the man who had bested my father. In my youth, I'd thought to kill him, but when I saw the way he pleaded for mercy while under the nose of my rifle I knew that I'd regret that decision for the rest of my life. So I beat "the absolute shit out of him" (as Vi would have said were she not in the League) and dragged him down to the police station. I've been working ever since; my mother even created some handy tools that I still use to protect this city. But since the incident with my former partner, I felt that I've been slacking in my sheriff duties. Crime had been returning under my nose while I was distracted, and it was time for me to do what it is I do best: catch criminals.

I paused a few miles from the production site, an old factory that used to produce helpful medicine, until people discovered the odd side effect of losing all your body hair and causing you to reek of rotting watermelon. The company went belly up, as many do in Piltover, but the factory went unused. The irony didn't escape me that this had become the new hot spot for these drug makers.

Clambering to the top of a nearby building, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small device. Setting it on the corner, I faced it towards the entrance where guards were patrolling and pushed the top button. With a whir, three legs slowly extended lifting the tripod to a better view. "Come in Val, the Eye is active, do you have visual?"

I placed the scope to my eye, looking as I followed the patrol patterns of the crooks; sloppy work, even for amateurs. At this rate, Thane could have easily broken in and left them penniless before slipping back out. I shook my head to rid myself of such thoughts; now was not the time. "Yes ma'am, I have visual now. Calibrating movement to adjust for distance." The small machine beside me slowly began to move back and forth before finally becoming still again.

"Red shirt." I muttered. The Eye whirred again, locking on to the target I had described.

"4.83 kilometers, wind direction is south east at 3 miles per hour. Target's current pace: 1.13 meters per second. Fire two degrees to the left of target to compensate for noise." I took a deep breath, slowly exhaling as I took aim. My finger gently pulled on the trigger, getting the absolute perfect timing I needed to shut down my kill. With a loud crack from my muzzle, the bullet spiraled through the barrel and into the dangerous night. Just as Val had predicted, the bullet met its mark, piercing the side of Red Shirt's skull and drilling its way through his brain. "Target down, acquiring next target."

Instructions began passing back and forth between the two of us, mine to indicate the next target and his to indicate the adjustments necessary to increase the amount of lead in their diet. Soon they began to scurry around the same way ants do after a small child kicks over their mound. But that was okay, that only gave me more targets to shoot, and once all of the patrols were dead, I packed up the Eye and prepared to finish the job. "Val, I want eyes inside."

"Yes ma'am, hacking into security feeds now…You have 7 hostiles remaining, 5 with guns and 2 unarmed who are cooking the drugs. It seems they're expecting you. Are you good for this Sheriff? If you want I can get on dispatch and…"

"Val, shut up and do your job." I snapped harshly.

"Yes ma'am." He whispered meekly in reply. "When you go to the double door, use the right one. It will shield you from the armed one waiting for you. You'll have another one up on a catwalk to your 10 o'clock, so dispatch him first before handling the one behind the door. Third hostile will be patrolling the back of the factory, so you should be able to snipe him easily if you move quick. He'll be passing through the aisle in front of you exactly 3 seconds after you've made your entrance. Once he's down head towards the thermohydraulic atomizer…"

"Layman terms Val." I reminded him.

"Yes ma'am, sorry. The large machine that is a cone that focuses to a downward point above a conveyer belt. Use it for cover from the fourth hostile as the fifth one comes into view from the machine's 3 o'clock. Take him out instantly before he can draw a bead on you, and then leave cover to finish off the fourth. I've no doubt by then the 'scientists' may take off so I'm sealing the Far East doors in advance. There's a reason they made these cyberlock doors illegal you know."

"We can make jokes once the job is done Val, not before." I replied.

"Yes ma'am. Sorry again."

I stepped over the bodies carefully as I reached the entrance, moving to the right door as Val had instructed and taking a deep breath. I lifted back my leg and kicked the door in hard, slamming the metal against the first one on the other side. Immediately I turned and fired from my hip, the second one screaming as he fell to his death from the force of the bullet. I turned, firing the rifle again to cause the first one's head to explode in a cloud of crimson before turning. Two seconds in…there! I squeezed the trigger, sending the projectile straight through number Three's heart. Number Four sure enough began to fire at me, and seeing the large cone I raced towards it. I could feel the heat of his automatic fire nipping at my heels before I managed to place my back against the atomizer, the sound of his bullets hammering on the thick metal echoed in my ears. Looking up to the left, I saw Five preparing his shot, but I turned and fired, causing him to collapse dead. Finally with one left, I reached into my pocket and threw a flash bang grenade from the atomizer and covered my ears and shut my eyes tightly. With a boom that even left my ears ringing, I turned the corner and dropped the final armed enemy.

The immediate danger subverted, I holstered my rifle before walking calmly towards the back door. Sure enough, Val had locked the doors, leaving the scientists desperately pounding on them in an attempt to get them open. When they heard my approach they stopped and pressed their backs against it, as if doing so would allow them to simply phase through the wall. "Move and I'll shoot you." I instructed as I pulled out a pair of hand cuffs. "You're both under arrest. If you tell me who your boss is, I'll even discuss some leniency on your sentence." The two of them were as still as statues until a voice spoke behind me.

"Sorry Sheriff, today isn't your day." I wheeled around grabbing the barrel of my rifle and swinging like a bat at the surprise attacker, but he simply caught its stock and swept my feet from under me. I ripped the rifle from him, rolling away before aiming from a prone position. His cape fluttered behind him as my bullets tore through it, leaving it ragged before he pounced towards me, kicking my rifle from my grasp. He raised his foot high in the air for an axe kick, allowing me to narrowly avoid his blow and rise to my feet. The scientists were gone now, rushing towards the entrance to escape. This bastard let them get away, and I'd be damned if I was leaving empty handed. The man began placing well aimed shots at my shoulders and stomach, trying to disable me so he could gain the upper hand. I knew better, and continued deflecting his blows off my forearms as I tried to see the face under his hood. I hadn't fought someone this strong in a long time, and I knew that he wasn't going to be easy to take down.

He managed to land a kick on my ribs that felt as if I'd been hit by a two by four. However, when he did he lowered his guard, allowing me to dash forward, striking with my elbow hard at his throat. He managed to dodge at the last second but I quickly followed it with a spinning jump kick that knocked him to his back. Drawing my pistol, I aimed it at him, but a quick flick of his wrist sent it out of my hand from due to some sort of throwing knife. Just as I drew another, I turned to find myself looking down the barrel of my own rifle.

I held up my hands, knowing that this was the end of me. I'd fought the hard fight and lost, there wasn't any shame in that. "Just make it quick." I muttered, closing my eyes. The figure hesitated and just as he opened his mouth to speak, red and blue lights poured in through the factory's front door. Dropping my rifle, he quickly turned to leave. "Hey! Stop!" I shouted, reaching out to grab him and keep him down. As his hood fell away however, my eyes went wide in surprise. "Thane?!"

There was no response from him as he quickly pulled his hood back over his face and disappeared into the forest of machinery as some cops came in. "Sheriff Caitlyn! Are you okay?" One of them asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." I called back after scooping up my gear. "The two scientists got away. Don't worry, I'll track them down."

"No need Sheriff, we captured both of them and they're en route to your office as we speak. This was your bust; I thought that you'd want to handle the interrogation yourself." I looked at the officer suspiciously. This wasn't how they usually acted. Normally at the sight of me, they tried to initiate some sort of pissing contest for jurisdiction.

"Why?"

"Ma'am?"

"Why are you giving them to me? Normally you'd have them both in chains and being hauled off to some low security holding cell you've got for drunks and teenagers. Don't play dumb with me rookie."

"Well…the chief sent out a text message to all units telling them to hand over the suspects to your custody. I don't know why, I just do what I'm told."

I chuckled softly to myself. Val was clever as always. "Very well, you're free to inspect the factory. Give me word if you find anything interesting. Especially if it's a purple flower. That's incredibly important understand?" The officer nodded compliantly as I shouldered my rifle, walking back to the sheriff's station. This was troubling to say the least.

"Val!" I boomed as I entered the sheriff station. Almost immediately, the man was before me in an awkward, but incredibly serious salute. "At ease. Thank you for bringing in those cops, things would have gotten bad if you hadn't. Also, where are the prisoners? Have they already been booked?"

"Yes ma'am, booked and ready for questioning. And there's no need to thank me ma'am, I was just doing my job."

"By disobeying a direct order." I pointed out causing him to cringe. I could already see the conflict on his face between wanting to say something and keeping quiet. I thought I'd make the choice for him by changing the subject. "Anyway, I wanted to see something about the raid. Do you have the footage from the attack?" He nervously shifted from one foot to the other. "What is it?" I asked, in no mood to pry answers from him.

"Well…the footage kind of was wiped."

"What do you mean 'wiped'? You're not telling me that you lost that footage by accident are you?" He shook his head.

"No ma'am. When you entered the compound I began following the monitors like you asked, but just as you went after the scientists the cameras went out. They're nothing but static. Radio was jammed too, that's why I called the police and sent them your way."

"Damn it!" I slammed my fist down hard on the table causing Val to jump in surprise. "I can't believe this…" I muttered as I began to pace anxiously back and forth. "He wasn't like this before, it doesn't make any sense…why would he just show up and not come talk to me? Worse, why is he back to that side again? This doesn't make sense, it must not have been him."

"Ma'am?"

"Not now Val!" I snapped before mumbling to myself again, trying to put together the pieces.

"Ma'am!"

"What?!" I roared in his face.

"Ma'am…I think you should interrogate the scientists before the police department realizes they were tricked and come to take them. Don't you?" I glared at him harshly and I could see him pondering if he'd made the right choice by telling me.

I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly to remove the stress so I could think clearly for a few minutes. "Yes, you're right Val. Sorry for yelling at you, things have been…stressful lately. I'll interrogate the prisoner's now. Could you move them to-"

"I've got them both locked up in interrogation room 1 and 2. Number 1 is Sigmund Allens, went to the Yordle Academy for a while before he flunked out for trying to make stardust in the labs. Number 2 is Scott Hindenburg, Ph. D. in Chemistry. He used to be a famous research specialist trying to find a cure for the Singed poison that infected most of Ionia, but when the government cut him by finding out the poison wears off after a decade or so he turned to crime to pay bills."

He smiled at me as if he were a puppy expecting a pat on the head for bringing back a ball that I'd thrown. I did not return the smile; instead I went to the witness room that held our Doctor, I had the feeling that he would be an easier nut to crack over his partner. As I entered the room, the Doctor squirmed nervously, his eyes focused on the tip of my rifle barrel that jutted out from my back. "Alright Doctor Hindenburg, we're charging you and your friend in the other room with making illegal substances with intent to sell. But to be honest, you're small game to me. I want your Boss. If you spill, we'll knock it down to a basic possession charge, you'll spend a month or so in jail then you'll be free to live your life."

"I don't know what you're talking about…" He stuttered shakily.

"Well unless you were voluntarily making illegal drugs, which I may add would land you in prison for upward of ten years, I'm assuming someone would pay you to do it, wouldn't they?"

"I'm not going to…"

I let out a frustrated sigh. This wasn't working, time to bring out the big guns. I hoisted myself on to the desk beside him, crossing one leg over the other so as to show off their skin. I bent towards him, hoping to angle myself enough to give him the opportunity to ogle me. As disgusted as this made me feel, I couldn't argue that it often worked enough to get me the results. "Oh come on. Please…all you have to do is give me a name. Just one little name, and I could do so very much for you." My words became a soft purr in his ear that sent visible shivers down his body. "You may even be considered a hero…can you imagine that? They may even throw you a parade."

"R-really?" He asked. Hook, line, and sinker. I smiled slyly before nodding.

"Oh yes! Why, you'd probably get all sorts of publicity and fame. People would be paying you money for interviews, and you know, women love guys who are famous." The doctor looked up at me, the greed shimmering in his eyes .

"Okay…his name is…Carmichael. Erik Carmichael." I gently patted him on the head like a dog before getting off the table.

"Good boy. Now sit in here and shut up until the police come for you." I walked towards the exit before the guy called after me.

"W-wait! Sherriff…when do I get my parade?"

I looked back at him with a scoff. I couldn't believe he actually fell for that. Wordlessly I slipped from the interview room and shut the door behind me. Val was sitting at his desk, his cheeks a bright red as he tried not to make eye contact with me. "Oh grow up Val." I muttered, sweeping past him. "Find what you can on Erik Carmichael. If this guy sneezes, I want to find out about it, understand?"

"Yes ma'am." He replied, his fingers flying across the keys as he held his head low. I knew what I said may have hurt his feelings, but in honesty, why should I care? We're co-workers; that's it, and he needs to learn to be more professional in the office anyway. Sure enough, when I entered my office there was a cup of hot tea waiting for me on my desk. I sipped it with a calm sigh, looking up towards the roof and placing my feet on my desk. Why in the world would Thane have come back? It didn't make any sense. I feel like he'd at least have told me he was back; he owed me that much considering what we used to be.

I soon found myself at the bottom of the cup, and I briefly considered asking Val to bring me another one. In a sense, Val was one of the hardest workers I knew. I never really thanked him for it, and I knew that the pay was absolutely awful. Better than the police to be sure, but still pretty bad. For a moment, I even pondered whether or not he hated me. I'd hate to be that monstrous boss type, but at the same time I couldn't bring myself to ask. For now, I just wanted to continue my work and drink my tea. And I was all out of tea.

The screen of my computer beeped to alert me that it had been activated before a message appeared through the IM. It was from Val and read "Would you like more tea, ma'am?" I found myself puzzled as to how he knew, glaring at the letters as if they would reveal the answer before I reached to my keyboard and typed, "Yes please, that would be lovely." Pressing send, I was startled when suddenly a small bell rang in the corner of my office. A small trolley rolled in holding a steaming cup and slowly, it extend its tray to set the tea on the corner of my desk. I watched in shock as it slowly rolled back into the wall before staring down at the tea cup on my desk. So that's how he managed to get the tea in here while I had the door locked. One mystery solved, I suppose.

My fingers closed around the new cup, lifting it to my lips so I could blow across its surface to cool it. The last thing I wanted was a scalded tongue. I sipped from it, and sure enough it was heavenly. A few minutes later, a knock from my door signaled that Val had found something. "Come in Val." I called, just as his shy face peered in.

"I have that information on Carmichael that you wanted ma'am. While he's not wanted, he's suspected of multiple crimes including murder, theft, larceny, sex and drug trafficking. He's currently holed up in an apartment in the slums, so I hacked into the camera feeds to ensure he hadn't made a run for it. Currently, his guards are dispatched elsewhere and he's open for capture." I set down my teacup, running my finger over its rim in thought.

"Sounds fishy, why would he dispatch his guards so soon after the warehouse was raided?" I asked to no one in particular. Which is why I was surprised when Val had an answer.

"He's currently…umm…"

"Spit it out Val."

"He's presently engaged." I looked at him, waving my hand to indicate I needed more. "With a woman…in coitus." I smiled. Perfect. The only thing better than throwing a hardened criminal behind bars, is doing so with his pants around his ankles and some poor girl watching in shock.

"How long would it take to get there on foot?" I asked.

"About five minutes, why do you ask?" I smirked at him causing him to realize what my plan was. "Wait…you're going to…"

"Let's hope he has some endurance." I laughed, tugging my cap on my head and grabbing my rifle before running into the night. Val watched me leave before turning to look back in my office with a sigh. He returned to his desk, examining the static from the warehouse as he tried to picture what could have shaken his boss up so badly.

Having reached Carmichael's apartment, I was glad to find the street deserted. I leaned close to the door to examine the lock through my lens. Sure enough, it was an old manual style lock that couldn't be hacked. That meant I'd have to do this the old fashioned way. My hand went to my waist, opening a pouch that contained a set of lock picks and going to work. I probed around for the mechanism's release, and with a slow twist of the pick, the lock came undone. I closed the door, heading up the stairs carefully. I could hear moans coming from the room, and I found it hard to not smile. With a loud crack, the door splintered as my rifle leveled on the two caught in the act. "Freeze! Piltover Sherriff's department!" Immediately both he and the young girl he was in bed with stopped what they were doing. He tossed her off of himself, reaching for the drawer on his nightstand but one shot from my rifle caused the pillow next to his head to explode. Immediately, he froze with his hand still on the drawer. "I'd be careful if I were you. I missed you on purpose, and I never miss twice." Slowly his hand pulled from the drawer and walking to him, I grabbed his wrist, before twisting it behind his back. He immediately stood up as I forced him against the wall, grabbing his other wrist and cuffing them both together behind his back. Sure enough, the red and blue sirens flashed in the window to tell me that the wagon had arrived.

"Erik Carmichael, you are under arrest for drug trafficking." I looked towards the girl, my eyes scanning her up and down. She couldn't have been older than fifteen. "And statutory rape for engaging in illicit behavior with a minor." As I continued to read him his rights, the young girl covered herself in embarrassment. Hopefully this would teach her not to become interested in the criminal type. It always managed to lead to disappointment and embarrassment.

Soon the door of the cruiser was shut, leaving a very angry Carmichael swearing obscenities and threats at me. "Good work Sheriff." The same cop from earlier that night congratulated me. "And we also fixed the mix up with the witnesses, thanks for being so co-operative."

"We're on the same side aren't we?" I asked with a laugh. "It's no trouble at all. Just make sure that Carmichael gets the punishment he deserves."

"No worries Sherriff, I'll make sure he gets exactly what he has coming to him." He offered a salute that I returned before getting into the police car and pulling away. Now, it was time to figure out how to handle my little thief problem.

* * *

Carmichael sat in the back of the cruiser in silence. He knew screaming wouldn't do him any good, so he chose instead to say nothing at all. Soon, the cruiser turned left down a road, driving further from the police station. "H-hey. Where are you going idiot? The jail is the other way! Hey! Where are you taking me?!" The car came to a stop in a dark alley as the cop turned from the front seat to look at the prisoner.

"Sorry Carmichael, C sends love and regards." In his hand was a pistol, the metal barrel gleaming in the dim light of the car before with a contained boom and a flash from the muzzle, Carmichael slumped over dead, his head blown open against the back windshield.

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To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

The Siren's Call Chapter 2

Author's Note: Hey everyone, sorry that it's taken me so long to publish new content. As many of you may have read, I was in a bit of a pinch regarding finances. I really appreciate those of you who offered me your support, but I'm happy to announce that I actually was hired as a teacher at a private school. I finally have something stable, so my work may be a bit delayed coming out. But I'll still work as hard as I can to get at least four chapters out a week. I hope you guys enjoy the second chapter of the Siren's Call. (Just to let you know, I've had some readers confused about the title. It's a double word play on a Police Siren and mythological fish-bird-people.) Best of luck in life and literature readers. -Kiba

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The phone's dial tone could be heard as I swiftly punched in the numbers. After it began to rang, a familiar feminine voice picked up on the other side of the line. "Hello?"

I swallowed nervously; it'd been almost a year since the two of us had last spoken. "Hello, Vi? This is Caitlyn." I greeted her, unable to shake the feeling that it was how a conversation is normally started with a stranger rather than an old friend.

"Caitlyn?! Holy crap, cupcake. It's so good to hear from you again!" She cried ecstatically into the receiver. "So what's the call for? I don't think it's my birthday or anything, not that I don't mind talking to you."

"It's business actually." I replied, my voice having gone soft. In truth, I felt a little guilty that I hadn't spoken to her in so long, especially since she was supposed to be my best friend in the world. Not to mention an ex-lover. "I wanted to ask if Thane's been acting strange lately…perhaps going out on midnight runs again?"

There was a long silence over the phone for a moment that made a pit in my stomach begin to form. I didn't like the sound of her breathing on the other end of the line; it was far too heavy until she just began to erupt into childish giggling. "Thane, stop it! I'm trying to talk to Cait!" She laughed before another voice joined her on the phone.

"Cait? How's it going?"

"Hello Thane." I replied, scratching the back of my head. I'd really hoped he wouldn't be there while Vi and I had this conversation. "It's…well it's going somewhere, I think…"

"How can we help you Sheriff?" He asked in a teasing voice.

I took another deep breath, trying to think how best to phrase my question. "Thane, can you account for your whereabouts last night at about 11:30 PM?" The teasing tone in his voice stopped as he gave his answer.

"Yeah, I was here at the Institute with Vi. Why, is something wrong?"

"Vi, can you confirm his alibi?" I asked, ignoring his question.

"Yes. He was most certainly here with me. Caitlyn, what's going on? You sound shaken up."

"It's nothing to be concerned about Vi. I hope you two have a nice day." I responded, before hanging the phone up with a click and placing my face in my hands. I felt so stupid. It'd been over a year since I'd spoken to either of them and now that I'd had it seemed as if I were accusing Thane of a crime. Could I have been mistaken? Val often told me I was working too hard, though I usually responded with a harsh 'Mind your own business, Val' before storming off into my office.

As if on cue, the small ding of the trolley caused me to turn as a hot cup of Earl Gray was placed on my desk, aromatic steam rising from the dark liquid. Picking it up, I sipped it with a gentle sigh. Gods bless that man. He may be awkward, cowardly, and on occasion too smart for his own good, but I couldn't deny that he knew how to make the perfect cup of tea. "Sheriff?" Val's voice crackled through the intercom.

"I just received it Val. Thank you." I responded before taking another sip.

"Oh! You're welcome ma'am. I just wanted to say that I noticed on your read out that you seem to be rather stressed out. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No that won't be…" I paused for a moment. "What do you mean read out?" I inquired, pressing him for more information. I could hear him shifting nervously through the intercom before he cleared his throat.

"Erm…I may have taken the liberty to install a heart rate monitor and thermometer into your watch…" He muttered meekly in response.

"You what?!" I cried, setting the teacup down before quickly removing the wrist watch strapped to my arm. Standing up, I walked to the door of my office opening it and tossing the watch at him. "Remove them, now! You had no right…"

"W-wait, I can explain Sheriff!" He tried to reply, holding up his hands defensively. "I was trying to ensure that I could check on your safety in the mission. If someone knocked you unconscious or if you were drugged, I'd want to be able to get paramedics to you as soon as possible."

I stormed to his desk, slamming my hands down on it hard and causing him to leap back in shock. "I don't want your excuses Val, I want your things out of my watch and I want them gone yesterday, do I make myself clear?"

He sat there his chest rising and falling nervously before nodding his head. "Yes ma'am. Sorry." He finally sighed, taking the watch and reaching for his tools. Just as opened his drawer however, his computer began to give off a repetitive high-pitched beeping noise.

"What is that?" I asked, the sound giving me a splitting head ache.

"I set the scanner to pick up certain police frequencies." Val explained. "Whenever there's a reference to someone involved in our cases, it pings me so I can peek in."

I pointed my finger down towards the screen. "Open it, now." I demanded, the tone of my voice indicating that I had absolutely no patience today. Immediately, his keys flew across the keyboard before his eyes widened in shock. "What is it?"

"Eric Carmichael," he rasped, "committed suicide last night. Emergency report just came in. He managed to grab the arresting officer's gun and decided he'd rather have a bullet then go to prison."

My jaw dropped in surprise. "No way!" I argued, moving to the other side of the desk to peer over his shoulder. "That doesn't make any sense! Why would Carmichael off himself?"

"Maybe he couldn't take the guilt." Val suggested before I smacked him on the back of the head.

"Don't be stupid Val, he's a hardened criminal. He doesn't feel guilty." I walked back to the other side of the desk, pacing back and forth in thought. I could feel Val's eyes following me across the room, and I wouldn't deny that his gaze made me feel a little uneasy. "Why are you staring at me like that Val?"

He blushed and averted his gaze back to his screen. "Sorry ma'am. I just thought…"

"Thought what Val?" I growled.

"Well…is it really important that he killed himself? This guy was responsible for the death of a lot of people, not to mention he was in sex and drug trafficking. I'm just saying this bastard kind of had it coming."

I shook my head, glaring at Val. "If there is one thing in the world that I cannot stand Val, it is the thought of a criminal escaping justice. He may be dead, but Carmichael should have served his time. He escaped justice forever, and that is not something that pleases me."

My personal assistant seemed to understand, or at least he pretended to. Suddenly, the console began to beep again, causing me to raise an eyebrow as he scanned the data on his screen. "You've got a case." He explained. "Five men were found dead, overdosed on Ecstasy."

My cheeks turned a bright red as I quickly rushed into my office, slinging my rifle over my shoulder and tugging my hat on to my head. "I'm on my way now. Patch me the co-ordinates of the crimes."

"W-wait Sheriff, you should rest for a moment before…"

"No time. I've seen this sort of thing before." I replied, images flickering through my mind of the beautiful thief that had nearly killed me with her kiss when she stole my identity. I don't know how V managed to escape from prison, but I would ensure that I sent her back to her cell where she belonged.

Soon, I was traipsing through the streets and alley ways of Piltover, before Val's voice buzzed in my ear. "Care to fill me in on what's going on Sheriff?" I let out an impatient grunt as I turned the corner where the most recent body had been located. Sure enough, the air reeked of the drug cocktail that she wore on her lips. Something was wrong though, the rest of the alley way was empty save the body.

"Val…where did you send the Police officers?" I asked briefly, tightening the grip on my rifle and turning to look back the way I'd come.

"Ma'am?"

"Where are the officers that were investigating the body?" I coldly repeated, my heart already beginning to race with adrenaline.

"Ma'am, they're at the coroners with the body. How else do you think I received the autopsy report?" My eyes widened in surprise, wheeling about to find that the woman stood right in front of me with a grin.

"Surprise." She purred, lunging forward to place her lethal kiss on me.

I reacted quickly, using the butt of my rifle to strike her hard in the stomach. Immediately, she swung at me with her fists, resulting in a vicious dance of combat. My rifle spun in my hands as I deflected blow after blow, and I knew I had to counter attack if I wanted to beat her.

I lashed out with my leg, spinning to strike her on the side of her head. Her arm rose, blocking my strike before she swept my other leg from beneath me and took me to the ground. "Sure you don't want just one kiss?" She asked as she laid on top of me, leaning ever closer.

"Sorry. I've kicked that habit." I grunted back before using my rifle as a fulcrum and kicking her over my head. Immediately, I rolled to a prone position and prepared to fire. Looking back where I'd kicked her, I leveled my sights to find that she was in fact no longer there. "Shit." I hissed, slowly advancing through the alley way. Where the hell was she? A movement behind me caused me to quickly turn, to see Thane who in surprise held up his hands.

"Whoa! Easy Caitlyn…it's okay. Just me." Thane quickly replied. "You sounded pretty spooked on the phone, so I decided to come see if you were okay."

My eyes narrowed at him, this was too convenient. "Where's Vi?" I demanded, cocking the bolt on my rifle. "Answer me, or I swear to you I will pump you full of lead."

"She had to stay behind at the Institute." He explained quietly. "Now please, lower the gun."

"No." I hissed. "You're V, I know it. How stupid do you think I am to fall for the same trick twice."

"Caitlyn…it's me, honest…" Thane assured me, taking a step closer. Without hesitation, I squeezed the trigger, a loud crack echoing through the streets as my bullet tore through his skull causing his body to fall with a sickening plop. Walking closer to him, I leaned down to inspect my kill. Thane, the real Thane, had once told me that she couldn't maintain her appearance upon dying, from her own word of mouth, but this imposter didn't change shape.

"No. No, no, no." I groaned meekly, leaning closer to him. Sure enough, there was no scent on his lips that I could smell, which meant it wasn't V. And if it wasn't V… "Damn it!" I screamed, striking down towards his chest. I'd killed him! The real Thane! How would I explain any of this to Vi? How could I possibly have been so stupid as to open fire when I wasn't entirely sure? Tears began to well up in my eyes as Val's voice crackled in my ear.

"Sheriff, are you alright?"

"Not now Val!" I screamed angrily. "I need an ambulance at Smith St and Wesson Blvd now!"

"No ma'am!" He argued.

My eyes widened. He was disobeying me?! "Val, I swear to you…send the damned ambulance or I'll…"

"Sheriff, you're not in your right head. Listen to me, I hacked into the security cameras, there's nothing there! I don't know what you fired at, but it isn't real! Can you hear me?" His voice faded away to static as I looked down to the bleeding corpse in my arms. It felt so real, the weight of it was just like that of the real Thane from the times I'd held him in my arms in the past. "Sheriff? Do you copy?!" Val's voice snapped me out of my harsh daze.

"I'm here." I replied, the image of Thane's corpse vanishing away as though every piece of him had scattered in the wind. Now completely alone, I tapped the transponder resting in my ear. "I suppose that means that the woman I fought wasn't real either." I whispered.

"Damn it, I knew you'd been working too hard." Val muttered to himself before pushing the radio to speak to me again. "No ma'am. There is no one within a quarter mile of you. Do you copy? You are alone there Sheriff." Val paused for a moment, taking a look down at the watch that sat beside him before letting out a sigh. "Caitlyn, I'm going to run a diagnostic."

"A diagnostic on what?" I asked, my entire body shaking from the experience. Using my rifle as a brace, I managed to stand up before leaning against the brick wall as my chest rose and fell heavily.

"On you. I know you told me to remove sensors from your watch…but I also placed some inside of your hat. You may feel a light sting." Sure enough, something came from the inside brim to prick my forehead before retracting back into the fabric.

"Val," I replied. "I can't decide whether I'm upset with you or relieved that you're watching out for me right now."

A few brief moments later he responded, seemingly ignoring my statement. "No wonder. You've been inhaling powdered nutmeg by the truckloads. You're hallucinating, Sheriff. Get out of the alley way and you'll be in the clear."

Nutmeg? Damn it! So she was here! "I'm heading back to the station Val." I muttered, turning to leave the alley way. "Do a full sweep of the city."

"For what exactly, Sheriff?" He asked.

I paused for a moment, unsure of what to tell him. "This is a criminal I've faced before. She has the ability to change her appearance into anyone she wants, and she's skilled at obtaining information. The easiest way to find her is to track the chemicals she uses. Safrole and Iicarin."

"Yes ma'am. I'll run a sweep now." He complied, as I turned to look back down the empty alley way. If V was indeed back, was she the Thane I'd encountered in the warehouse? If so, why didn't she kill me? The questions plagued my mind as I stepped out on to the street, the musty smell of nutmeg that had been made evident by my hacker's mention now fading behind me.

* * *

Val's fingers quickly punched in the commands to the scanners he'd set up on behalf of the Sheriff all around the city, typing in the specified chemicals she had provided him. Safrole and Iicarin, Ecstasy and Horny Goat Weed. What an odd combination, he mused.

As the scan started, he heard the door open and looking out he saw Caitlyn come in with a frustrated sigh. "Welcome back Sheriff." He called. "Would you care for a drink?"

"Yes please, tea with a bit of cream." She replied, returning to her office. Just as Val turned to brew the tea, the realization hit him as if it were a train. Caitlyn never asked for cream in her tea. His heart began to race as he watched the imposter slip into his boss' office, and he couldn't help but marvel at how exact her detail was regarding her disguise.

Slowly, he reached beneath his desk, pulling out the .45 caliber revolver he kept for emergencies and sticking it in the back of his waist band he walked calmly towards the office, knocking on it politely before entering. "Sorry to disturb you sheriff, but did you want Earl Gray or Orange Pekoe?" He placed his hand behind him as 'Caitlyn' straightened from the files that she was searching through.

"Surprise me." She replied, as he cocked back the hammer carefully. "Actually…" she replied, causing him to freeze as she approached him. "There's been something I've been meaning to ask you." Her voice had softened as she stepped closer, but for the sake of not letting the imposter know he was on to her, Val stayed where he stood.

"Yes Ma'am?" He replied as she stood right in front of him, her eyes staring deeply into hers. Val could feel the hot blood pumping through his veins. The imposter had perfectly imitated her appearance, right down to every subtle curve that Val had fantasized about since he'd first met the Sheriff of Piltover.

Her fingers ran up her exposed collar to twirl a strand of long brown hair around it, as if a young girl who was nervous of speaking with a crush. "Just, what is it you think of me?" She questioned, her voice a soft flirtatious purr. "I know that sometimes I can be rather cruel to you…do you hate me?"

"Of course not!" Val blurted out before kicking himself for indulging in this woman's game. He should just pull out the gun and arrest her. That's it! There was no other course of action. He scolded himself, but the way she looked at him with _her_ eyes made him feel weak in the knees on top of his fear.

She smiled at him, and Val wondered how he could have been working for his boss for so long and have not seen such a radiant smile before. "I'm glad that you don't. The truth is, I've been having strange feelings regarding you." She whispered. "Feelings that, I'm not sure I've felt before." She pressed herself closer to him, causing Val to unconsciously pull back. "Have you ever felt anything like that?"

"Yes." He whispered in reply. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear nervously. As she did, her smile grew even warmer, as if she herself were the rising sun. Val could hardly stand it. He commanded himself to get a grip over his emotions. This wasn't the real Caitlyn…was it? He could feel himself becoming feverish as the imposter leaned closer to him.

"Val…"

"Yes ma'am?"

"Can I kiss you?" She asked, leaning closer to him. How desperately he wanted to believe that this was real and to accept the gift she offered. Why would the imposter want to kiss him? It didn't make any sense at all. For a moment, he found himself leaning towards her before a scent caught his attention. Sweet, almost like licorice with a hint of flowers. Safrole and Iiacrin. Val held out his hand stopping her advance. "Is something wrong? I'd always thought you had something of a crush on me."

Val swallowed. If it was so evident to this imposter, did that mean Caitlyn herself knew as well. "I do." He finally admitted, his eyes searching hers praying that he was wrong about everything. "But…I can't. It's not the same. You're beautiful, truly you are…" With a quick movement, he drew the gun. "But I'm in love with the real Caitlyn, not a cheap knock-off."

"Val? What are you doing?" She gasped in surprise, a look of fear in her eyes that sent a wave of pain through his chest as she took a step back. This wasn't right; he was expecting the imposter to drop the façade immediately. Why was she keeping up her charade? "Of course it's the real me. I'm not a fake."

"The real Sheriff would never ask for cream in her tea." He growled, cocking back the hammer as he put the woman in his sights. "And she wouldn't ever have me 'surprise' her with the sort of tea she wanted to drink. She hates surprises, she's the only woman I know who does."

'Caitlyn' held up her hands in surrender as she bumped into the desk. "Please Val, just lower the gun. I'm sorry that you're scared, but really it's me. I really do have feelings for you. Please, don't shoot me."

Damn it, how could she use her voice like that? Val's hands began to tremble as he struggled to keep his wits about him. This wasn't her! He screamed in his own head. This was not the real Caitlyn! "I don't believe you." He responded icily.

"Why?" She pleaded. "Because I decided that I don't care about what sort of tea you make me? Did it ever occur to you that maybe I'd drink anything, as long as you were the one who made it?" His hand was shaking even more now, something that the imposter seemed to pick up on.

She stepped closer to him. "Stay back!" He ordered loudly, firing a bullet into the ceiling before leveling the gun back towards her. "Stop it! You're not Caitlyn! Give up your stupid phony act, I'm not going to fall for it!"

"Val, please." She begged, the guilt in his chest growing even greater. "You don't even have proof that it isn't me. Please, don't shoot me!" Her eyes began to well up with tears that caused Val's heart to break even further.

"I do." He argued. "I have all of the proof that I need. You're not nearly as good at this as you think you are."

"What do you mean?" She asked through her watery eyes.

"As much as it hurts to admit it," he replied softly, "the real Caitlyn could never love a man like me." Just as the words left his lips, she leapt towards him catching him off guard. His eyes widened as time seemed to slow down. Placing her hands on either side of his face she kissed him, and he felt the sweet drugs slipping into his system.

He began to feel dizzy as his cheeks burned with blood. Before he knew what happened, there was a loud bang, 'Caitlyn' falling down on to her back as blood began to pour from her stomach. She looked up at him in shock as he fell to his knees, the gun slipping from his hands to clatter to the ground.

Hearing the gunshot from outside, I quickly burst into the lobby, finding the door to my office wide open. As I leveled my rifle, I turned the corner to see an effigy of myself, laying in a pool of blood as Val sat muttering to himself. "I killed her. Oh Gods, I've killed her. What have I done?"

I immediately crouched down beside him, scooting the gun away and pulling him out of the room. The last thing he needed was to keep looking at the body any longer. The more time he spent, the longer he'd see it in his nightmares over the course of the next few days. "Val, listen to me." I instructed him calmly. "Val, you did what you had to, understand me. I'll take care of this, but I need you to take a deep breath for me, okay?" He looked deep into my eyes, his pupils dilated wide open as the drugs began to take effect into his system. "She kissed you." I stated, realizing just what had happened.

"I…" He began, unsure of what to say as his eyes drifted past me. He shoved me out of the way, just as there was another bang, a bullet tearing through his shoulder before I quickly spun and leveled my rifle. With a well placed shot, the gun flew from her hands as I quickly struck her over the head knocking her unconscious.

"Don't worry, she's still alive." I assured the delirious Val who clutched at his wound unable to stop shaking. "Val, breathe." I instructed as I dragged her into the cell. Slamming the door shut and locking it, I turned back to my assistant. He was sweating profusely now, and as I walked towards him, his eyes grew wide and he backed away from me quickly, falling back on to his desk. "Val, what's wrong?"

"St-stay back!" He gasped. "Don't come near me!" The drugs had begun to affect his mind, I realized. He still thought I was the imposter. My eyes went to the gun on the other side of the room where it'd slid after I shot it from V's grip.

"Val, it's me…it's Caitlyn, the real Caitlyn."

"No…you're lying." He stammered backing away from me before clambering on to his desk. Just as he was about to fall off the edge, I lunged forward snagging his collar. "No! Stay away from me! You're not her!" He screamed, struggling hysterically to break my grip. I was lucky for his pacifistic nature, had it been Thane or Vi who suffered like this, I could have received a dislocated jaw instead of the weak slaps from his flailing arms.

I dragged him, kicking and screaming, towards my office, where in the top drawer I had a spare case of the medicine Thane had given me when I suffered from the effects of the drugged lipstick. We always had a feeling that V would somehow return to Piltover; even with Mundo gone. Now, I was almost relieved for our caution.

I threw Val into my chair, and he immediately went to stand up again. With no other options, I immediately straddled his lap, forcing him back against the chair as he looked up at me. Taking my hand cuffs, I fastened both of his wrists to the arms of the chair, making sure he couldn't move them as I began to prepare the IV.

Tilting my phone off of the receiver, I put the phone on speaker and began to punch in the number for the Institute of War where Vi and Thane were staying. "Hello?" Thane's voice came through the console.

"Thane, thank Gods, I need your help." I gasped as I continued to try to calm down the still squirming Val. "V came back."

"Oh Gods…did she manage to kiss you?" He asked with a tinge of concern in his voice. It was sweet he still worried about me, but right now, I had more pressing concerns than to say so.

"No, but she managed to plant one on my new assistant. As far as I know it was just the one, but I'm not sure how long or how strong the concentration. Right now he's delirious and paranoid; I had to wrestle him into my chair before handcuffing him so he couldn't fight back."

"If it's just the one he should be fine. He's just suffering the effects of the drug, but he should be fine within the hour. You need to watch him, make sure he has fluids. If you want to give him anything, a simple saline solution would be fine. Use the half bag."

I let out a sigh of relief. In truth, I had begun to rely on Val a little too much lately, enough to know I needed him here if I wanted to clean this town up. I tapped the needle to ensure that it was free of air before gripping his wrist tightly. I waited for a break in his struggles and quickly inserted the IV before connecting the saline solution.

His breathing became deep as the fluids began to enter his veins, and when he'd finally stopped resisting all together, I climbed off of him. "Sheriff?" He asked in bewilderment, the fog finally starting to life from his drug-addled mind.

"Yes Val, it's me." I whispered, resting my hand on his cheek.

He swallowed nervously as his eyes started to close. "I'm glad…you didn't hear me." He whispered before falling asleep. What did he mean by that? I worked to slowly patch up his bullet wound; luckily it had gone straight through the flesh without hitting any of the bone.

Walking back to the cell, my eyes leveled at the collapsed woman. "Wake up." I ordered. "I know you can hear me." V's eyes turned to me before she slowly clambered to her feet and walked towards me. "How's your wound?" I asked.

"Fine. He barely nicked me. I thought you cops were supposed to have good aim." She yawned, looking at me with a bored expression. "Of course, I suppose it was different for him. He tagged me as a fake moments after I walked in the door and he still had a hard time pulling the trigger. He must be a good and loyal little puppy."

"He is." I commented impatiently. "And a pacifist. He'd have a hard time pulling a trigger on anyone. Which brings me to my next question, what are you doing here? Only an idiot would try to break into the same place she was caught in."

Her appearance began to shift, transforming into the pale lean figure that was the changeling. "Aww, does the big bad detective not know what I'm up to? Shame. Well, I'm not going to ruin the surprise for you."

"Tell me or not, I don't care. You're going back to prison where you belong." I lifted up the receiver of the phone on Val's desk, punching in the numbers necessary before it began to ring.

"Piltover Prison." A gruff voice said on the other line.

"Hello, this is Sheriff Caitlyn."

"Oh! Good afternoon Sheriff. What can I do for you?" The voice immediately became more respectful.

"I have an escaped prisoner here in custody. Should be labeled under Special Prisoner BL V." I sighed, looking over my shoulder at the changeling who flashed me an impish grin. I could hear the man through the phone as he tapped loudly on the keys, searching for the proper documentation.

"Sorry Sheriff. I think you may be mistaken."

"Don't tell me I'm mistaken, the woman attacked me a year ago, believe me I know who she is and what she looks like."

"Well ma'am, then there must be two of them because I'm looking at her right now. We got her in a special form of solitary so she can't sneak out as per your request."

I turned to look at her again, as she playfully filed her nails on the cot. "I'll call you back." I growled, hanging up the phone before I stormed to the cage where she sat. "Alright, spill! What the hell is going on?!" I demanded.

"Boy wouldn't you like to know." She mused, blowing on her fingernails to remove some of the dust.

I drew my rifle, aiming it towards her. "I'll give you to the count of five. Five…"

"Go ahead, shoot me." She taunted, "You don't scare me Sheriff."

"Four…"

"I'm telling you you're wasting your time."

"Three…"

"My lips are sealed, sorry."

"Two…"

"You're not going to shoot me, you don't have it in you."

"One…"

"See? Absolutely nothing."

With a crack, my rifle fired, tearing a hole in her knee cap as she fell to the ground. She paused for a moment before laughing. "Clever Sheriff. Shoot me in a place that won't kill me." Another loud crack and her other kneecap shattered under my rifle's force. "I still won't talk." She hissed through the pain.

"Next comes your right shoulder. Unlike my assistant, I don't miss."

"I die either way."

"I can protect you, but you've got to tell me what you're up to."

"No one can protect me from C." She whispered.

"Who is C?" I demanded causing her to chuckle.

"You should know better than anyone."

"A name! Give me a name." Her eyes fogged up for a moment and then her body collapsed as a strange foam began to drip from her mouth. I opened the door immediately, rushing in only to find that she was already dead. "Gods damn it!" I swore. It reeked of almonds which could only mean one thing: cyanide.

As I stood there, looking down at the corpse of the mysterious woman, I could feel the entire world turning beneath my feet. I didn't know what was going on, and that was something that terrified me greatly.

But one thing was certain: I was going to find out.

* * *

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

The Siren's Call Ch. 3

**Author's Note: Hey everyone, newest chapter of The Siren's Call right here (obviously). Some updates, I've started working with a friend of mine on something called the Co-Ed Co-Op. It's a new series of Let's Plays and reviews that I'm doing with my friend Sarah who is the owner of releasethegamergirl. com. If you guys head over there and sign up to follow her, that'd be a huge favor towards the both of us, and I'll be posting our videos on youtube as soon as I get an animator to do our opening sequence. In addition, I am hard at work on the second book of Trinity Wars (for those of you who don't know, that is my original novel) and the tickets for the play that my school is working on will be up soon. Once they are I'll post them on my profile page so that you can get those, and if you come you'll even be able to meet me in person :D. At any rate, thank you all for your support, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. Remember I always love hearing feedback, so the more reviews the better and never hesitate to shoot me a PM. **

**Best of luck in life and literature, Kiba.**

As the coroner wheeled away the body, the restrained Val finally started to come out of his daze. "Feeling better?" I asked, my eyes not leaving the still corpse beneath the sheet as it was removed from the station.

"Did...Did I…?" He began to gasp.

"No. You didn't." I assured him. "She took her own life instead of telling me what she knew. And you…" I turned towards him pausing for a moment to decide what to say. "You were no help at all!" The sudden criticism made him wince. "I count on you Val to ensure that when I'm not around that the criminals get subdued, instead you fraternized with her, and you were rightly punished for it."

He bit his lip, lowering his head. Was he really not going to fight back? "Sorry boss. It won't happen again." He whispered, his lips barely moving beneath his hair. I sighed. This was not the assistant I needed. If I was going to clean this city like before I needed to have someone I could rely on not a...loyal puppy, as V had put it.

"Is that all you have to say?" I demanded. His eyes lifted slightly towards me. "Seriously? What sort of a cop are you? You've solved dozens of cases, even stood toe to toe with a woman who'd gotten the best of me, and when I accuse you of slipping up all you can do is say sorry and take it?" I could see he was confused by the way I had switched. I leapt from the desk, walking towards my office door and shutting it behind me. "Val, it's time we had a talk. There's been something I've been meaning to discuss with you for a long while."

"Regarding what Sherriff?"

"Your employment within this division."

Immediately he tried to stand up, but his wrists were still bound to the chair, forcing him to fall back into the seat. "You can't be serious! You're going to fire me over this?" He strained hard against the metal handcuffs, but they kept firm.

"What would you do about it if I did?" I taunted, sitting on my desk and crossing my legs.

"I...I cannot believe you! You were the one who plucked me out of cyber crimes! I was happy and content there! I had a nice comfy office, I could just sit on my computer and I didn't have to worry about shapeshifters or having to shoot people or…" He paused, taking a deep breath.

"Me?" I asked."I imagine with how hard I am on you it felt pretty good to fire a round into that doppelganger."

"Shut up! You know that's not true!" He shouted, struggling harder to escape.

"Ooh. Seems I struck a nerve there. So you do hate me. That makes a lot more sense. Well, you'll be happy to know that I don't really care what you think of me. It's only natural you would after all."

"Gods, how is it that a detective can possibly be so daft?!"

My eyes looked deep into his with confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't hate you Sheriff! If I hated you, I'd have quit a long time ago. You can deputize whoever you want, but you can't force me to be one. Now uncuff me from this damned chair!" The two of us glared at one another before I finally moved forward, and a moment later Val was up and walking towards the door. He paused in the frame for a moment, his words having silenced me. "And one more thing. I finished scrubbing the warehouse footage. Thanks for the vote of confidence."

There were many things I wanted to say to him. But instead I replied "About time. Prep it and send it to me."

He shook his head in disappointment, turning away from me. "And please make me a cup of…tea." He'd slammed the door before I could finish my request and when he did, I simply slumped into my chair. Taking the hat from my head I hurled it across the room to fall to the ground, abandoned and useless. How could I be so stupid? Damn my pride. I should have apologized for doubting him.

Instead of comforting him, I told him I thought he enjoyed it. The entire reason I hired him was because he was so different from Thane, but damn it, why did I insist on...did he say he scrubbed the footage of the warehouse? Turning to my side, I opened the holoscreen of my computer where the video waited in my inbox.

My finger was trembling as I reached to select it. The footage popped up, taking my entire view. Clear as day, I and the cloaked crook were hashing it out. The movements he made were so familiar. They were graceful, yet powerful and I found myself thinking back to the many times I'd watched Thane and Vi spar.

I watched as he proceeded to defeat me, placing the gun to my head. Finally, he went to leave and just as he did the hood was torn from him to reveal his face. My heart stopped momentarily as a chill ran down my spine. It was Thane. His face was soft and he lacked the acid burns that were present on his cheek from his fight with X, but his eyes were unmistakable. That was definitely Thane.

I sat in stunned silence for a moment until I was shaken out of it by the slight ding of the tea trolley signaling that Val had sent it through the line. As it slid onto my desk without spilling a drop, my hands shakily reached for it before pulling it to my lips. Gods, even when he was pissed off he still made fabulous tea.

* * *

Val paced back and forth after sending her tea. He did it anyway! He was so angry with himself. He should be angry at her, pissed even! She accused him of being undedicated to the job...practically. Then she demanded he make her tea. But the worst part was, he actually did it! Perhaps it was force of habit, perhaps it was his feelings for her, but he actually made her tea.

Well if she wanted to know why he'd chosen to stay, he'd tell her why he's chosen to stay. He'd spill his secrets to her. He'd confess everything and throw himself on her mercy and show her he wasn't some sort of coward.

With a loud slam, Val kicked my door open. "Caitlyn! I have something to say to you! I'm…" His voice trailed off as all of the bravado seemingly faded in an instant. On my face was a sad expression of hurt he'd never witnessed before. "Caitlyn?"

Immediately, I wiped my face with the back of my hand. "What is it Val? I'm a little busy." Val's eyes traveled to the monitor where the image of the man was frozen on the screen. Who was he? Despite the fact that in the video feed he had me at gunpoint, his eyes betrayed a certain hesitance. He didn't like the position any more than I did.

Without a word Val walked towards me, picking up the teacup from my desk. "Ma'am, your tea is getting cold." He commented.

"What? Val, I don't care about…"

"Ma'am." He repeated flatly, in a harsh tone I'd never heard from him before. "Your tea is getting cold. I'll warm it for you, but you need to drink it. You can't spend too much time in your office. Even the Sheriff of Piltover has to rest every now and then. It's getting late anyway."

I looked towards him, what very little make-up I wore starting to smudge from the angry tears that I'd tried so hard to hold back. It was then I realized that Val was trying to comfort me. Swallowing, I nodded in agreement. "You're right Val. Bring me my tea, then go home. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow in paperwork."

"I'll handle that tonight ma'am. I'll give you your tea for the road. Don't worry, I know how to lock up." As he walked back towards the door, he lifted my hat and brushed the dust off of it before placing it on the rack.

"Val." I called after him softly. He paused at the door, turning to look back. "I'm sorry...for ruining your happiness."

He simply grinned before replying. "I never said I wasn't happy now." With that, he returned to his desk allowing me to pack up for the trip home. As I walked out of my office, he had a steaming travel mug ready to go and with no further words between us, I stepped out the door and began my walk home.

* * *

As the detective left her office, Val continued to work around the office. Filing the proper paperwork and cleaning up here and there. It wasn't until a short while later that a loud clatter echoed from his boss' office. Already the day had been stressful, but he had to deal with an intruder now too.

Taking the gun he'd already fired once today, he walked towards the door and looked into the office. It was him, the man from the video! "Freeze. Get on the ground." He ordered, leveling the gun. The man turned towards him, revealing a half-burned face, the video beside him serving as a contrast to his flawed features.

"Oh, you must be the new help." He replied, seemingly ignoring the gun pointing in his face. "I'm Thane, no doubt you've heard of me from Caitlyn?"

"The Sheriff didn't mention you at all." Val snapped, causing the man to frown. He seemed hurt that she hadn't mentioned him at all. "Now I won't ask you again. Get on the ground."

Thane let out an irritated growl as he stared down the barrel. "I really don't appreciate the way you're treating me, considering I used to be a deputy and all." Val cocked back the hammer on the gun causing the stranger to sigh. "Looks like it's the hard way." The hacker had little time to react as his feet were swept from under him.

With a quick movement of Thane's leg, Val was sent hurtling across the room from a brutal kick to the chest. As he slumped to the floor he attempted to raise the gun until another kick sent it from his hands.

"Where is she?" He demanded

"I'm not going to tell you." Val coughed weakly.

His attacker did not like that response. Grabbing the deputy by the front of his shirt he lifted him into the air, punching him over and over again, repeating his question in search of an answer. With every harsh blow, Val steeled himself. He couldn't fail Caitlyn, not again. He would never betray her by giving up her location, even if it killed him.

Thane cocked back his fist before driving it hard into the hacker's stomach, causing him to double over, gasping for air. When at last his breathing became regular again, Thane realized that he'd lost consciousness when he wasn't paying attention. "Damn it. Overboard again. What sort of weaklings is Caitlyn hiring now anyway?" He muttered to himself. He'd have to take the stubborn fool to the hospital he knew.

* * *

I sighed as I placed my key in the lock, only to discover it was already open. Immediately, I shrugged my rifle off of my shoulder, and kicked in the door. As it swung open my eyes fell to the pink-haired deputy who sat on the couch. "Hey there Cait."

"Don't move." I responded flatly. "You and I have only fought over one thing. What was it?"

"We don't fight. Well unless you count Thane, then I mean, we kind of fought but it was more like a sexual marathon." Vi replied. She paused for a moment before adding, "I won." Cait sighed lowering her gun. "What's going on cupcake? When you called Thane and told him that V came back, we decided to make a trip here to visit you."

"We?"

"Thane went to look for you in your office." She explained.

I looked towards the door panicked. "I don't imagine he'd use the door would he?" I asked hopefully. I doubted that Val could handle any more stress tonight after what he'd been through.

"Does he ever?" She laughed, however seeing my expression caused her to fall quiet. "Cait. Are you in some sort of trouble?

"Val's in trouble." I commented, turning from the room and bolting out into the night with Vi on my tail. I could already see the lights on in the station, and I prayed he was still there, but when I arrived inside it was empty. "Val?!" I called out, but there was no reply.

"Who the hell is Val?" Vi asked as I rushed into my office. On the ground was his gun, and a surprising amount of blood on the floor.

"Damn it." I muttered, ignoring Vi's question and once more running into the streets of Piltover. If Val was where I thought he was there'd be hell to pay.

"Caitlyn, talk to me damn it! Who the hell is Val?!" Vi demanded, cutting me off but I shoved her aside. I was too angry to speak to her right now. She continued to try to get me to answer her, but I knew I couldn't. If I did, all of it would come loose and I couldn't afford that.

Reaching the hospital, I came to the desk, slamming my badge down on the counter in front of the orderly who was rather shaken by the sudden gesture. "Did a man come here with another man?" I demanded.

"You'll have...to be more...specific." She whimpered as I leaned closer to her.

"One male, tall with blue eyes and a hood. Another one, kind of short, messy brown-red hair like he just got out of bed." I growled. "Did you see them or not?"

The woman shaily pointed towards the hall to the right. "Room 103." She stuttered as I turned away from her with Vi on my heels, giving the woman an apologetic wave.

Opening the door, I found Thane with his arms crossed leaning against the wall. In the hospital bed was Val, still unconscious with bandages on his face and wrapped around his chest. "Hey Caitlyn, long time no…" Thane's words trailed off as I quickly snatched up the chart from the end of his bed.

"Don't bother Thane." Vi instructed. "She won't even speak to me." That was the end of it, I snapped on them like a ruler in the hands of a mean schoolteacher.

"I want both of you out of my city, now!" I demanded, causing the two of them to look up at me in surprise.

"Caitlyn, what are you talking about?" Vi asked.

Slamming down his chart with a clatter that echoed towards the room I began shouting at the both of them. "How dare you?! How dare both of you even think that this is okay?!"

"Hey, we're here because of you!" Thane jumped in.

"Bullshit!" I roared. "You just up and skip town over a year ago and think you can just waltz back in here and pull this crap?"

"What crap Caitlyn?" Vi shouted back. "We literally just got here!"

"And already look at the mess you've both made! You've given my deputy three cracked ribs and internal bruising and you haven't been here for half a day!"

"He attacked me first." Thane retorted.

"I don't care! You broke into my office Thane! Of course he attacked you! Why did you think that would possibly be a good idea?"

"Hey, don't forget that both Vi and I are deputies here. We've helped you on hundreds of cases!" He argued as Vi jumped to his side in agreement.

"Yeah Caitlyn, what the hell? I thought we were friends. It was an accident. You know if Thane meant to kill that guy he would have."

"No!" I finally screamed, my body seething in anger. "You're not my friends!" Immediately a silence fell over the entire room. "Friends don't just abandon a friend without any explanation for months. Friends don't leave an entire mess of a city on the hands of a friend for no reason."

"We have a reason!" Thane protested.

"No you don't!" I returned. "The League is handling Mundo, but you can't just leave enough alone so you have to spend every single day killing him for stupid petty revenge!"

"Cait, that's not fair…" Vi began.

"And _you_ left with him just because he's a good screw! Well you know what Vi? I had sex with him too and I didn't abandon my responsibilities just because he decided his stupid revenge is worth more than an entire city!"

Vi clenched her fist tightly and was about to speak before Thane placed his hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Caitlyn. You called us remember? We're here because you needed us. Can't you at least pretend to be happy that we came?"

"No, I can't. And I didn't call you because I needed you, I called you because I was working a case and you were the easiest way for me to do my job. Unlike the two of you who left to go play some silly little game, I've stayed here cleaning up this city because I'm the Sheriff and that's my duty." I glared at the both of them, my hands balled into fists and tears being held hard behind my eyes. "The only person who dared to help me is currently laying in a hospital bed, his entire body broken despite having saved my life earlier, and I want both of you out of here and back under whatever rock you crawled out from!"

The two of them were speechless, unable to respond before a look of understanding came across Vi's face. "Oh, I see what's going on here."

"Good, then you'll leave." I retorted.

"You're in to him!" Vi accused me, causing my eyes to go wide. "That's why you're so upset. You've been screwing him and you're upset because now he's out of commission."

I barely remember what happened for a few moments after that. There was a loud snap, and I was standing before a stupefied Vi, a red handprint on her cheek and my hand stinging from how hard I'd slapped her. "I do _not_ like him." I enunciated very clearly to her. "I use him only because I have use for him. Unlike him, I have no use for either of you so get the fuck out of my city."

Again a silence fell over the room, Vi's eyes glared into mine as Thane tried to separate us. I watched her pupils dart over my shoulder, just as a voice called from behind me. "Oh...I see."

Immediately, I ejected Vi and Thane from my thoughts as I rushed to Val's side. "Val, you're awake. Thank Gods. How are you feeling?" The question was a stupid one, but I think that part of me was trying to make up for what he may have just heard.

He frowned, breaking eye contact to look down at his arm where my hand rested on it and slightly tugging it away from me. "I'm…" He only managed to get one word out before he paused, as if trying to decide just how he felt.

"Cait…" Thane whispered as he came closer, but I would have none of that.

"Leave." I commanded both of them. "Now. Go back to the League, and don't let me catch you in my city again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal." Vi growled, grabbing Thane's hand and dragging him with her away from the room. "Come on Thane, let's go."

I could see in Thane's eyes he was not pleased by the way our reunion played out. Horndog he was, I partially assumed he was expecting something more, but I wouldn't have any of that. Never again. "Boss." Val's voice softly levitated to where I sat.

Turning back towards him I could see the hurt in his eyes. "You heard what I said, didn't you?" I sighed. "I imagine you'll have nothing to do with me now."

Shockingly, his hand rested on mine, taking it in its grip sympathetically. "Ma'am. I've worked with you for nearly eight months now. Long enough to know you'll say things you don't mean when you're angry. A person who sees another as a tool, doesn't visit that tool in the hospital."

His words tickled me inside as I simply grinned at him with a dismissive scoff. "Don't be absurd Val. How else do you ensure that a tool isn't broken?" I was kicking myself for not agreeing with his sentiment. In truth, he did mean more to me than his job but...I didn't need friends. If anything, tonight had proven that friends only lead to more trouble. But I needed a hacker, and Val was the best there was.

The hurt expression returned to his eyes, but he simply nodded his head. I wanted to stand up and leave. He was alright, I didn't need to stay here any longer than necessary. But the grip of his hand kept me still, and though I knew it was weak enough that I could easily break free from it, I didn't. "Ma'am, you should be careful when you're burning your bridges."

I turned towards him quickly. "Val?"

"Just listen please. I know that your friends...I know they hurt you. But you can't just shove everyone away. You'll burn all of your bridges and soon you'll be an island. Nobody deserves that." His words cut deep, but I shrugged them off. I had to.

"You need to get your rest Val. You're starting to speak nonsense." I replied, standing and pulling away from him. His grip tightened, stopping me for a moment, but I didn't dare turn to look at him again. " Val, if you don't like how I live my life, then I suggest you find yourself a way to get out of it."

"I joined the Sheriff's department to help people." He stated. "You wanted to know that right? The reason I decided to leave my comfy desk job? I wanted to help people, and I thought I could do that more with you than just solving white collar crimes in the cyber division. That's why I joined."

"Noble." I commented, my hand pulling from his as I made my way to the door. "Noble and naive. We don't help people Val, we simply put the bad ones away from the good. Now tomorrow, I want my tea on my desk, just how I like it." As the door shut behind me, I didn't manage to catch the last thing Val said.

"I just wish you'd realize that you're one of the good ones."

* * *

Eight months ago…

* * *

"Come on, come on...where are you, you human piece of filth?" Val muttered, keeping his fingers flying against the keys as he opened the directories within Hextech Corp's private server. He knew he wasn't supposed to be here, the case had been passed to fraud just a day ago, but he'd come too far in this case to simply leave it be. "Yes!" He cried, as he found the personnel file he'd been seeking. Immediately, the other members of cyber crimes all turned towards him because of his outburst. "Sorry." He apologized meekly, waiting for them to return to their screens before continuing his work.

Ned Capiary was one of the top people within Hextech, and recently he'd managed to trick almost 5,000 employees into handing over their stock in the company by falsifying a change of the stock's name and he bought for pennies on the dollar. Before anyone could catch him, however, he managed to fire all 5,000 of them using his authority.

But Val knew he'd made a vital mistake. His bank account was set up for a direct deposit line, meaning that with the personnel file in hand, he had access to his bank, his routing number, and with a little hacking, his bank accounts themselves.

He was so angry when the case was passed to fraud. He only needed a little more time, the judge had even granted the warrant they needed to investigate the bank to see if they could locate the missing money he gained from selling the stock he stole from others. But Val had more intentions than just finding it. He had the means to get all that money back and return every cent to the poor souls who were fired from their work.

With a few more swift keystrokes, the money began dwindling quickly in Capiary's bank account. He couldn't get the people their jobs back, but he could at least try to get them a little something. Ned of course couldn't confess the money was missing from his bank, to do so would force him to incriminate himself, and while for others it'd take years to divide up this money amongst the 5,000 ex-employees, Val spent a month forming an algorithm to give them the exact amount of money their stock was worth...and a little extra, courtesy of Ned's "generosity"; for tax purposes of course.

"Keppler!" A voice boomed from the office of the chief. "Get your ass in here, on the double!" All eyes turned towards Val who held a look of fear in his eyes. How had the chief managed to catch on to what he was doing? He didn't even know how to set up a blog, much less know anything about computers. He managed to get his station through connections alone, so who had told him about his work. "Now Valentine!"

Already, Val was up and rushing towards the office. Bursting into the doorway, he saw that across from the chief was an elegant woman, dressed in a revealing purple corset and skirt, a piece of lace wrapped around her silky throat. Perched on her head was a large top hat, fitted with lenses of varying magnifications. Beside her, however, was a long rifle with a scope that sat perched against the arm of her hair.

Val could feel his heart racing as soon as he saw her. She was stunningly beautiful, but why was she here? Val forced himself to look away from her, he had more pressing matters at the moment. "You called me Chief?" He asked.

"No shit Sherlock!" The gruff man boomed. "Step inside and close the door behind you, we have things to discuss."

The woman sat there, a smug grin on her face as she reached down to a nearby thermos and poured herself a cup from it. The smell indicated tea, rather than coffee. It was peculiar to Val that she'd drink something so far out of the norm.

Stepping inside, he shut the door behind him, before taking the seat beside the woman that the Chief had gestured for him to sit in. "Alright Keppler, tell me. Do you know this woman?" He asked.

Val blinked, scratching his chin in confusion before shaking his head. "No sir, I can't say I do." The woman grinned even wider as she turned towards him.

"I'll take it from here, thank you." She instructed the Chief before offering her hand towards Val. "I am Caitlyn. I'm the Sheriff of Piltover, a pleasure to meet you."

Val reached out with a trembling hand, taking hers in his and shaking it. "Th-the pleasure is all mine." He stuttered, trying to keep his words straight in her intimidating and charming presence. "Erm Chief...about the case…" He began, ready to throw himself at his mercy. The last thing he wanted was to be arrested. He didn't expect things to go so badly they'd hand him over to the Sheriff, who was rumored to be one of the hardest officers in law enforcement.

"Fuck the case!" The chief bellowed, before Caitlyn shot him a look that quickly made him apologize profusely. "Sorry ma'am, gotta learn to watch my language."

"Yes, you should." She agreed in her cold and smooth voice. "Keppler was it?" She asked, turning towards him. "Tell me in your own words, what it is it you're working on."

"Val." He corrected. He didn't deserve to be called by his last name by the famed detective. "And what I'm working on is the rectification of the Capiary case."

The Chief stood, slamming his hands on the desk. "Damn it Val, I told you you were off that case!" He began shouting, but Caitlyn merely held up her hand silencing him quickly. She could see by the way that Val flinched he was not willing to argue with his boss.

"Continue Val." She instructed.

"Well...the man scammed a large amount of Hextech employees out of their stocks by claiming that there was a merger in two of the branch companies. When he bought it from them he did it for pennies, claiming they were worthless and that he would be handing out the new stock once the merger was completed. He was a high ranking official in the company, so after he had what he wanted he sold the stocks, and fired the employees so he wouldn't be caught."

"I see. It sounds to me as if they deserved to lose their money for being tricked into such a thing." She commented before sipping her tea.

"Respectfully ma'am...many of their families are going hungry because they lost everything. They can't claim unemployment because they received a severance package, but that package has been withheld because Capiary has been taking money out of their funds for years. It's being used as evidence in his case, so they can't even eat."

Her lips curled into a grin as she set her thermos down, rescrewing the cap on. "So...what would you have us do? It's not your case anymore."

"Perhaps not ma'am. But I can still do something about it, so I did. I hacked into his account and returned the money from their stocks to their bank accounts. He doesn't deserve to pay for his legal fees with the money he stole from them."

"That sounds difficult; returning money to 5,000 people seems a tad bit above the level of a performance of a normal person."

Val hated to brag, but she was right. It wasn't something a normal person in their division could do. But after seeing that man on the street earlier and hearing his story, he couldn't just leave these people to suffer. "Perhaps ma'am, but it's what I had to do. If you're here to arrest me, I understand. I will come willingly."

"Arrest you?" She laughed. "If anything, you deserve a medal. If there's one thing I can't stand Val, it's the thought of a criminal escaping justice. Now you've ensured that he won't be escaping." She turned towards the Chief who seemed to shrink away from her fierce gaze. "I'll take him."

"I'm sorry?" Val asked, looking between the two of them confused. The Chief sighed and nodded, reaching into the files before laying it on the desk and sliding it towards the woman who opened it and began to sign it. "What is going on?"

"You are hereby being reassigned Val." The Chief muttered. "The Sheriff here is deputizing you as her personal assistant. You are to pack up your belongings and report to her office as soon as your shift for the day is done."

"Don't I get a say in this?" He wondered aloud as Caitlyn finished signing the paperwork before pushing it his way. Down at the bottom of the page was a blank line with an 'X', indicating that it needed his signature for approval.

"Tell me Val. How would you like a job that doesn't always require you to cheat your way through the red tape? As part of the Sheriff's department, you'll have more freedom to pursue and solve crimes your own way. Not to mention, you and I would be working very closely together." Her voice came out as a soft purr that seemed to cloud Val's mind, but his decision had already been made, even before she tried to bring him under her charms.

His hand took up the pen, and in the quickest and most elegant signature he could, his name was placed on to the form. "I'm in." Caitlyn scooped up her rifle slinging it over her shoulder and collecting her tea and the form with a smug grin.

"Excellent. I expect you in the office tomorrow morning around 7 AM, and I want you to have me a cup of Earl Grey tea, brewed and sitting piping hot on my desk. A little honey and lemon, no sugar, no cream. And I swear, if you try to surprise me with some sort of donuts or something stupid, I'll have you out on your ass in the streets with the rest of the rabble from Hextech Corp. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal." Val gulped nervously as she left the office. He couldn't help but notice the light sway in her hips that showed off her excitement. In truth, he was terrified of the woman, but inside his chest he felt a warmth that pounded against his ribs, and he knew he'd made the right decision. He'd finish the day, and tomorrow he'd show her that he was more than capable of assisting her in crimes. His life had a new exciting chapter and he knew it wouldn't be closed.

"Good luck Val." The Chief huffed. "You're going to need it."

Val simply smiled at him and bowed his head politely. "Thank you sir. I think it's safe to say that I'm very lucky indeed."

* * *

To be continued...


End file.
